23 May 2009

These plates are the handiwork of an artist who calls herself Trixie Delicious. Aukland, New Zealand-based Trixie sells her wares (and ships worldwide) through a website called Felt. Felt is the Kiwi version of Etsy, a marketplace for a group of independent artists and artisans to sell their work.

Ms. Delicious takes vintage plates, platters, saucers and bowls and hand paints her messages of good cheer on them directly. She uses non-toxic, heat-fused, ceramic paint. This means that these delightful, heartwarming iconoclasms will last forever. Imagine the joyous faces around your table when you serve a Thanksgiving turkey from a Crackwhore Tray. That noise you hear is the sound of my heart growing three sizes from the thought alone!

Many thanks to Leona Gaita and her great blog Gaita Interiors for the tip off to these beauties. Spend some time this weekend getting to know Leona, I like her perspective.

There's something about combining the sacred with the profane I find really funny. I doubt I'd use them as serving pieces, but hanging the seven deadly sins on Royal Doulton plates is not beyond the realm of possibility.

I've been collecting re-interpreted images of Grant Woods' American Gothic since I was a teen ager. You know, variations on that iconic image of the stern-looking farmer and his wife that show up in advertisements and movie posters, that sort of thing. I love the idea of taking an iconic image and dropping it into a new context. Who knows? Maybe I just took too many art history classes in my day.